The Innovation Center of the Ústí Region (ICUK) together with the Ústí Region annually announces a competition for the most innovative companies in the region. This year, registration for the Innovation Company of the Ústí Region competition is launched much earlier than in recent years.

Companies will be able to submit an innovation to the competition from February and have until the end of October this year. Then, in November, the expert jury will meet, consisting of representatives of the CzechInvest agency, ICUK, a competition partner and an expert of the PLATINN program.

This year, and in future years, the competition will be announced in the categories of small and medium-sized enterprises and large companies. The startup category will no longer alternate with the large company category, due to another competition that is intended specifically for startups.

"The competition has matured in five years and we want to push it further. As innovation in the business environment grows, so does this competition. We want to elevate it again and make it a social event of a prestigious format,"says ICUK director Martin Mata.

In addition, the competition has a new category, the Professor Jiřina Jílková Award, which honors personalities for their extraordinary contribution to the development of the Ústí Region in the field of innovation.

The winners in the corporate categories will receive a financial reward of 50,000 crowns, the opportunity to use the Innovation Form of the Ústí Region for 2023 as a logo, and publicity in partner media.

The terms and conditions of the competition are very simple. Any company with a seat or place of business in the Ústí Region can apply, regardless of legal form or field of business. Registration for the competition is possible via the website Innovation company of the Ústí Region - regular ICUK event.

The competition is supported by the Smart Accelerator project for the Ústí Region III.